By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial has said that there was an explicit directive in the constitution to hold elections within 90 days of dissolving the assembly and expressed hope that the upcoming elections would adhere to the constitutionally mandated timeline.
The outgoing CJP was addressing a dinner organised in his honour by Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Abid S. Zuberi.
Reflecting on the court’s performance, he stressed the importance of law enforcement and acknowledged that reducing the backlog of pending cases was a priority. The efforts in the past year yielded some results as two thousand cases were disposed of.
However, he admitted that this fell short of satisfactory performance and expressed the hope that he will be remembered for his contributions after he doffs his robe.
CJP Bandial also emphasised that decisions do not belong to one individual but to the entire organisation.
He commended the judges who showed courage in their judgments, as well as the young lawyers who presented their arguments before the court.
He underscored the importance of strong bar councils in ensuring a robust judiciary, urging unity among the Supreme Court and high court bars.
CJP Bandial also touched on the issue of suo motu notices, mentioning PTI leader Babar Awan’s request to take notice of President Arif Alvi’s tweet regarding contentious bills. He stated that the court had avoided taking suo motu notices in such situations.
“Babar Awan saheb made a passionate speech…I thought he would appear before the court with a petition. Perhaps he might submit an application in the future.”
Lamenting the wastage of the court’s time due to other cases, CJP Bandial reiterated the importance of upholding the constitution and ensuring that repeated cases did not come before the court.
He further vouched for the courage and independence of the judges in both the high courts and the Supreme Court, assuring the public of the judiciary’s autonomy.
Referring to his own restoration after the Lawyers’ Movement fifteen years ago, he referred to himself as the “last dinosaur to return to the judiciary.”
“I used to recite a poem 15 years ago during the movement.”
‘Short-and-sweet address’
In a light-hearted moment, he referred to his greetings that had made headlines, saying that he wanted to offer a “good to see you” to the participants and promised to keep his address “short and sweet.”
He emphasised that judges and lawyers relied on the judiciary to resolve numerous pending issues and urged the public to have faith in the rule of law, hoping that the judiciary would continue to move forward unitedly.
It may be recalled that the CJP in his previous speech had expressed disappointment over some incorrect reports published about him, ruefully recalling that phrases, such as “good to see you” and “short and sweet,” were taken out of context.
However, he had said that he held no grudges against the media.
CJ vacates residence
Meanwhile, the outgoing CJP has vacated the Chief Justice House and moved to a house reserved for retired judges. CJP-designate Justice Qazi Faez Isa is set to take the oath of office on September 17.
The Islamabad Police have provided security to the nominated CJP in accordance with the law, appointing a chief security officer accordingly.
